Updated Sept. 17, 2026, 7:01 p.m. ET
An F-16 fighter jet pilot ejected to safety before his plane went down in northern Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 17, military authorities confirmed.
“We are aware of an incident involving an F-16 from Texas crashing in an area around [Traverse City],” Master Sergeant Augustin Salazar, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing, said, adding that the pilot ejected before the crash. “He is receiving medical care and is in stable condition.”
Videos of the incident published by local news outlets show massive plumes of black smoke streaming up near homes in rural Michigan.
No one else was hurt in the crash, Michigan State Police said, adding the pilot recuperating at a local hospital.
Salazar declined to provide further information about the crash.
Known as the Lone Star Gunfighters, the 149th is an F-16 unit based in Texas at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. According to the Air Force, the unit is part of the Air National Guard and Texas Military Department.
The San Antonio-Lackland base is located some 1,500 miles from where the plane went down. USA TODAY has reached out to military authorities for information on what the supersonic fighter plane was doing in the area.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
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